Rebecca C. Harris Professor of Politics

Holekamp 204
540-458-8199
harrisr@wlu.edu
Curriculum Vitae

Professor Harris (Ph. D. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) is a scholar of genetic science and food politics, especially ideology and partisanship for new issues. Her recent publications include “The Political Identity of Food” in Food Studies: An International Journal (2016)—for which she received the International Award for Excellence in 2016 from Common Ground Publishing—and “State Responses to Biotechnology” in Politics and the Life Sciences (Cambridge Journals 2015). Her current book project examines partisanship in food politics.

Professor Harris teaches applied American Politics courses including American National Government, Public Policy, Environmental Policy, and Law & Judicial Process. These courses are designed to give students pragmatic sophistication regarding current events, substantive policy expertise, and political science understandings of political behavior and institutions. Her Spring Term Course, Food Policy, incorporates community-based research projects. Professor Harris is an affiliate faculty member of the Environmental Studies Program and the Shepherd Poverty Program.

Professor Harris is on the Community Engagement Advisory Committee and serves as one of many W&L advocates of community-based learning.

Education

Ph.D., Political Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (2006)

M.A., Political Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (2000)

B.A.E. Political Science, Western Washington University, Magna Cum Laude (1998)

Research

American Politics, Public Policy, Food Policy

Teaching

American National Government, Public Policy, Law & Judicial Process, Environmental Policy, Food Policy